Charles johnson



('No Model.)

C. JOHNSON.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 284,431. Patented Sept. 4, 1883.

WITNESSES INVENTOR M ATTGRNEYS.

. UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES JOHNSON, OF ST. GEORGE, NEW BRU swIcK, CANADA.

a FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.'2s4,431, dated September 4,1883.

Application filed February 13, 1883. (N model.)

To all whom/it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES J OHNSON, o George, in the- Province of New Brunsbrick and Dominion of Canada, have invented .5 a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device by means of which a person can easily lower himself from a height by means of a rope.

The invention consists in a bar adapted to be held to slide on a rope by means of an arm and eyes, which bar is provided with a brake- I 5 lever forcheckin g the movement, which brakelever can be locked in position by: means of a locking-ring adapted to slide on the bar and brakelever. A hook is pivoted to the bar, which hook is provided with a pivoted latch g is pivoted, whereby the latch will be held closed by the downward draft on the hook.

The invention also consists in various parts, details, and combinations of the same, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures. 0 Figure l is a sideview of my improved fireescape, with the locking-ring shown in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. b

A bar, A, is provided with a shallow longitudinal groove, a, in which the rope B is to rest, which rope passes between two jaws, O, at the top of the groove'and above the jaws, and around an arm, D projecting from the bar, which arm is provided with a curved cross-piece, E, extending up and down, and the rope then passes through an eye, F, formed in the end of an arm, G, at the upper end of the bar A. At its upper end the bar A is provided with an aperture, H, in which a cord or rope, I, is knotted for drawing the device upward, so that it can be used by another person. At its lower end the bar A is provided with a horizontal loop, J, through which the rope B passes, which loop is to hold the rope against the longitudinally-grooved surface of the bar. Between the jaws O a brake-lever,

extending into the recess in which the hook .down on the straight part of the bar. A hook,

N, is pivoted in a recess, 0, in the bar A, directly above the straightpart, to which'hook an inwardly-swinging latch, P, is pivoted, which is so constructed and of such length that part extends into the recess 0.. A belt, rope, or analogous device, Q, is passed around the body and passed on the hook N. One or more such belts can be used. The device is to be made of brass or ma1- leable iron.

The inner side of the brake-lever K is pref- 7o erably grooved longitudinally, so that it will fit closely against the rope. The edges of the arm D and of the eye or loop F are rounded off, so that they will not cut and ohafe the rope.

Thehook N is provided on the inner surface of its curved shanks with a longitudinal groove, h, into which the latch P can be pressed when the same is opened. The crosspiece E'prevents the rope from slipping off the arm D.

The operation is as follows: The rope B is passed through the device inthe manner shown and described, and is secured to a hook, post, window-frame, &c.- The belt or rope Q is passed on the hook N, and the'barA and brakelever K are seized by. one hand. The device will then slide down the rope, and the speed can be checked by pressing the brake-lever toward the bar A, whereby the upper end of the brake-lever will be pressed against the rope B. If the descent -is to be stopped entirely for a time, and the person wishes to have his hand free for other purposes, the ring L is pushed down to the lower end of the bar A and brake-lever K, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the brake-lever will be locked in position. When the locking-ring is raised, itis held in position by the spring M. The weight of the person draws the hook downward and presses the inner end of the latch P against the bottom of the recess 0, and thereby presses the outer end of the latch against the end of l the bar A, having an arm, l), and an eye, F, of

the hook, thus preventing the belt or rope Q from passing out of the hook accidentally. After a person has been lowered, the rope B is removed from the arm D, and then the device can be drawn upward on the rope B by means of the rope or cord I.

Having thus described my invention, what I vclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with I the bar A, having an arm, D, and an eye, F, of

the brake-lever K, the locking-ring L, and the spring M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the brake-lever K, the locking-ring L, having a notch or recess, 11, in its inner surface, and

of the spring M, substantially as herein shown 20 and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3-. In a fireescape, the combination, with the bar A, adapted to be held on arope, B, so as to slide on the same, of the hook N, pivoted in a recess, 0, of the bar, and of the latch 25 P, pivoted to the hook and extending into the recess 0, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. 7 CHARLES JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, G. SEDGwIcK. 

